"A New Breed of Checker Book Dealers"--

[Mr. Checkers]

Their names read like a virtual "Who's Who" in checkers to most of us. They are a very special treasured vanishing breed--and no one has stepped forward to take their place. Yes most of our oldtime checker book dealers, like Tom Wiswell and Clayton Beebe, etc., have either passed away or they have retired, but they have not been forgotten. Their wares dot the pages of our checker literature and they have played a very very important role in our checker history. To Tom Wiswell the selling of checker books was his "bread and butter". Tom stated many times that selling checker books was only "a service to the checker community--and that there was no money in it". He also stated that "checker players are cheap and that they are not going to be willing to pay you anything for your checker books". As my mentor he told me not to be in a hurry to sell my checker books for they will all sell in time. These oldtime checker book dealers were a welcomed and necessary part of our checker fraternity. In most cases their books were reasonably priced. Today we have emerging a "new breed of checker book dealers", which are not part of our checker fraternity. These names have taken the place of our oldtime checker book dealers--amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, abesbooks.com, plus hundreds of independent book dealers on top of that--and of course we don't want to forget "Ebay", etc. Their major concern is not that of service to the checker community, but is one of profit, which all of us that have been in business at one time or another understand. A checker book that sold new for around $10 in the early 1980's now sells on their listings for $110 to over $220 depending on which dealer you buy it from. So look forward to paying much higher prices for your checker books in the coming years. Taking good care of your checker books and passing them on to fellow fraternity members will be a most welcomed blessing for all of us I am sure.

[Michael Holmes]

It is this profit driven motive that will raise the level of service, the quality of the book, and also bring a lower price on the product, which is the heart and sould of America. I believe Capitalism is the best system for providing the aforementioned items.
Michael

[Mr. Checkers]

I am sure that Amazon.com and others will remember your credit card number and its expiration date, but you will never acquire that personal touch, rapport and lifetime friendships that are established in dealing with members of ones own checker fraternity--.

[Mr. Checkers]

John you may have mis-read our posting. Our posting has to do with established dealers in checker literature (old and new generation)--many of whom we have personally known over the years; not with players who are wanting to dispose of their collections to other interested parties on the internet, which is an entirely different story. Our dear friends in the checker fraternity are continuously sending us unique checker memorabilia, antiquarian checker literature (years ago our good friend Tom Wiswell sent us a Payne's hidden inside the cover of another book that he had sent to us), get well cards, Christmas cards, birthday cards, thinking of you cards, etc., all of which let us know that we are special to them. I have over the years had hundreds of dealings with Ebay, Amazon, Barnes and Noble etc. and not once have the CEO's of those companies ever sent us anything of that nature--.